How to choose the best affiliate marketing learning program?

In today's world a lot of people are looking outside of their jobs for security. Many have lost their jobs, 401Ks and even hope during the turbulent economic times that we live in. Many have turned towards the internet seeing it as the new wild, wild west. Hoping that an internet gold rush will help them not only get back on their feet but also help them afford the things that they never thought they could buy before. If you are reading this article then you might be one of those people, or maybe you stumbled onto it in some other way. No matter how you got here, I will attempt to paint a clear picture and help you choose the right way of entering this new field full of both opportunities and dangers.
Let's talk about the dangers first. It is really easy to set up a website and start selling stuff, anyone can do it. This means that among all the good people trying to provide a real service we also find snake oil salesman. When looking for a book or a program to learn from make sure that you are buying a product made by someone who has been tested by time. Make sure that you run a Google search on the thing that you are interested in. Try to find a review if one is available. Search the name of the author and ask around on the affiliate forums. Some of the people there are veterans of the online marketing industry and can give you some good advice. Check out any ranking sites such as guruDAQ.com or any other site which puts the "online gurus" in a head to head competition. Take your time and do your research well, it will save you a lot of time and ultimately money. Learning from a wrong source is worse then not learning at all. If you pick wrong you might have to spend extra time unlearning the things that you were supposed to help you out.
When you finally come across someone that you think is a good teacher look around their website. Can you see any free bonuses, eBooks or videos?? I know that when I first got into affiliate marketing I didn't even want to hear about paying for anything. I looked around and found free books, support forums, audio and video samples that helped me to stand on my feel. While doing all this I noticed a trend. If someone is really worth the money they are asking for their product they usually give you a free sample because they are confident in their material, they know you will come back for more once you see that their stuff is valuable. Remember this rule. Always look for free stuff, look for support forums and other types of feedback that you can find. This rule holds true even for the more advanced material. When buying more advanced books or courses you should always look for what kind of extra bonuses you can get.
To wrap it all up, remember to do a good Google search about anything you are interested in. Look for the free samples that will let you judge the quality of the product offered, and try to pick out products from the people that have been doing this for a long time and have a good track record.